Electric conductor



Nov. 4, 1930. E. J. SCHNEIDER ET AL ELECTRIC 'CONDUCTOR Filed March 25. 1929 l/ 1. 1//1//1 Il.

Patented Nov. 4, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN J'. SCHNEIDER, OF JAMAICA, AND PETER WIGG-INS, OF MASPETH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO EASTERN TUBE AND TOOL CO., INC., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A. COR- PORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR This invention relates to electric conductors and particularly to devices of this class of what is known as the non-metallic sheathed'type and to the method of constructing conductors of this class; and the object of the invention is to provide a conductor of the class specified with a ground strand or wire arranged longitudinally of the separate wires of the conductor and intermediate thel same in a wave-like fashion to dispose the curved portions of said ground wire alternately in the valleys at the opposite sides of the conductor so as to permit the free ieXing of the conductor in the operation of making installations therewith and to compensate for longitudinal stresses and pulls to which the conductor is subjected; aI further object being to provide a simple method of producing conductorsof the class under consideration and especially in forming and positioning the ground Wire in disposing it between the separate insulated wires of the conductor; and with these and other objects in view, the invention consists in an article of manufacture of the class specified which is constructed in accordance with the method hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following speciication, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of our improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating part of a braiding machine and showing our improved attachment for controlling and guiding the feed of a ground wire into the machine in producing the finished conductor.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a side and sectional View of a ccnduszor made according to our invention,

illustrating the arrangement of the ground wire therein.

The conductor in the construction shown, is of the two wire type, said wires being designated in Fig. 3 by the reference characters 5 and 6 respectively. Upon each of said wires or conductor strands is arranged a series of casings or sheaths, the lirst consisting of a body of'rubber 7 and the second of a comparatively wide paper strip wrap 8 upon which is woundy a multiple strip or strand body 9 of paper or other material. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not necessarily limited to any particular form and construction of the insulated conductors 5 and 6 or the separate casings or sheaths 7, 8 and 9 arranged thereon nor to the number of said casings employed.

The two conductors thus formed are contained in an outer braided casing or jacket 10, and arranged in the valleys at opposite sides of the insulated conductors are filler strands or pieces 11. Arranged intermediate the insulated conductors and within the outer braided casing 10 is a ground wire or strand 12 which is odset laterally in wave-like fashion to dispose the curved offset portions 12a thereof in the grooves or valleys at opposite sides of the conductors and to arrangel the intermediate portions between the conductors.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, we have shown an apparatus for demonstrating one method of producing the structure shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing in accordance with our invention. In this figure, we have diagrammatically illustrated certain parts or mechanisms of a convention form of braider, to which I apply attachments for carrying out my 1nvention.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, 13 represents a part of the base frame of a round braiding machine upon which a plurality of spools of thread or other material 14 is movably supported and operated -to feed' threads or strands 15 intothe machine and upon the conductors to form the braided casing thereon. Only one of the spools is shown in that this machine and the method of its operation forms no part of our invention except as to the general combination. In machines of the class under consideration, the separate insulated strands and 6 are fed into the machine through the central hollow portion of the frame 13 and are taken from rollers or drums 16. At the same time, A'the filler strands or strips 11y are fed upwardly' through the machine and passed through a guide arm or member 17 adjacent the lower end Of which the braidingtakes place as in conventional methods of this class. The finished conductor with the braided casing thereon is passed over a feed drum or roller 10.

In carrying our invention into effect, we modify the conventional form of machine in question by providing a combination gear and crank v-18 arranged upon a shaft 19 and the gear teeth of which mesh with a pinion 20 on one of the shafts 21 of the machine and in operative connection with the drive and feed mechanism of the machine. Coupled with the gear crank 18 is a connecting rod 22 which extends downwardly and is pivoted to a rocker arm 23, the latter being pivoted to part of theV framework of the machine as seen at 24 and includes an arm extension 25 movable with the arm 23 and with which is pivoted another connecting rod 26 which is pivoted to a wire feed and guide rod -27 as seen at 28. The rod 27 is pivoted at its lower end to the frame as seen at 29 and provided at its upper end with an angularly directed horizontal extension 30 having an aperture 30 through which the ground wire 12 from -a spool or other source of supply is adapted to pass.

In the operation of the machine, the eX- tension 30 of the arm 27 moves transversely between the separate insulated conductors 5 and 6, travelling at a comparatively slow rate of speed so as to dispose the wire 12 alternately in the opposite valleys of the finished conductor as hereinbefore stated, the braiding operation serving to retain the ground wire in its fixed offset position in the formation of the braided casing 10 upon the insulated conductors.

To assist in this operation, two spring jaws 31 are disposed adjacent the arm 17 and between which the insulated conductors 5 and 6, the strips 11 as well as the wire strand 12 relation with the strand 12 arranged therebetween.

It will be understood that the degree of curvature or waving of the ground wire 12 will depend entirely upon the ratio of gearing employed with respect to the feed or movement of the finished product through the machine or the insulated conductors into the machine. By increasing or decreasing the size of the gear 18 or the arrangement of the several rocker arms and connecting rods with respect to cach other, this ratio of movement may be controlled. i

It will also be understood that our invention is not limited to the application of the method herein disclosed to a braiding machine of the specific type referred to, as the same principle may be incorporated in other types of machines, the distinctive feature of my method residing in the provision of means for laterally disposing the wire or strands with. reference to the path of travel of one or more strand-like bodies to arrange said wire in different positions longitudinally of the strands and with respect to a relatively fixed point in the cross sectional area thereof.

While we have shown one specific form of conductor, it will be understood that our invention is not limited to the specific structure herein disclosed and various changes in and modifications of the construction of the product and the method of producing the product herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The herein described method of manufacturing cable of the class specified which consists in feeding insulated conductors into the machine, applying an outer casing or jacket to said conductors in forming said cable and feeding a ground conductor with the first named conductors, arranging the same between said conductors and imparting intermittent lateral movement to the ground conductor in a plane transverse to the path of movement of the first named conductors to dispose said ground conductor alternately at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the first named conductors. Y

2. The herein described method of manufacturing cable of the class specified which consists in feeding insulated conductors into the machine, applying an outer casing or jacket to said conductors in forming said cable and feeding a ground conductor with the first named conductors, arranging the same between said conductors and imparting intermittent lateral movement to the ground conductor in a plane transverse to thepath of movement of the first named conductors to dispose said ground conductor alternately a braided casing to said conductors and wire,

and imparting movement to the ground Wire in a plane transverse to the longitudinal plane of movement of said conductors in advance of the application of the braided casing thereto to arrange said ound wire alternately at opposite sides of t e longitudinal center of said conductors. 2g 4. The herein described method of producing non-metallic sheathed cable including a ground wire which consists in feeding insulated conductors into a machine together with a ground Wire disposed-intermediate ad- 'acent sides of said conductors, applying a raided casing to said conductors and wire, and imparting movement to the ground wire in a plane Itransverse to the longitudinal plane of movement of said conductors in advance of the application of the braided casing thereto to arrange said ground wire alternately at opposite sides of the longitudinal center Y of said conductors in the valleys formed at the opposite sides of the conductors, and feeding filler strands in said valleys and outwardly of said ground wire.

5. Theherein described method of manufacturing cable of the class specied which consists in feeding a plurality of conductor strands into a machine,' applying an outer casing or jacket to said strands and moving one of said strands in a plane transverse to the longitudinal movement of the otherV strands to alternately dispose portions thereof at opposite sides of the longitudinal centers of the first named strands.

6. The herein described method of manufacturing cable of the class specified which consists 1n feeding a pluralit of conductor strands into a machine, appying an outer casing or jacket to said stran s and moving one of said strands in a plane transverse to the longitudinal movement of the otherv strands to alternately dispose portions thereof at opposite sides of the longitudinal centers of the first named strands and to arrange said strand intermediate the other strands in wave-like fashion. J

7. The hereindescribed method ce. manu-` 69 facturing cable of theclass specified which consists in feeding a plurality of conductor strands into a machine, appl 'ng an outer casing or jacket tosaid stran and moving bne of said strands in a plane transverse to 05 the longitudinal movement of the other strands to alternately dispose portions there of at opposite sides of the longitudinal centers of the first named strands and to arran said strand intermediate the other stran in wave-like fashion and arran other liller strands within the outer casing and at opposite sides` of two of said conductor strands.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names this 18th day of March, 1929. f

. EDWIN J. SCHNEIDER.

PETER WIGGINS. 

